WebBeds in tax turmoil

The shockwaves from the spectacular operation carried out last weekend in Palma by customs agents at the Webbeds offices continue to reverberate throughout the global tourism industry, both because of the scale of the operation and the underlying financial stakes.

This leading travel wholesaler, a direct competitor of the giant Hotelbeds and based in the Son Valentí industrial park in Mallorca, had its headquarters in the Toledo building, at number 6 Calçat Street, raided early Thursday morning by a dozen sworn agents as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud.

The scene, worthy of a financial thriller, caused widespread astonishment among the many employees arriving at work, as a customs officer, stationed at the main entrance, screened access and questioned each person about their employer.

While the authorities are currently maintaining strict silence on the technical details of the investigation, industry experts point to a particularly sensitive hypothesis: the customs officer’s intervention suggests an investigation into complex financial arrangements and profit transfers, potentially carried out through structures in Dubai, aimed at evading taxes in Spain in favor of lower-tax jurisdictions abroad.

These practices, if proven, are punishable by the highest fines stipulated by the tax code and could damage the reputation of a major player in global hotel distribution.

This police raid on one of the market’s largest bedbanks underscores the increased vigilance of European tax authorities regarding the electronic financial flows of booking platforms, marking a turning point in the oversight of travel technology giants.